


Self Discovery

by TrueAlphaIsMyAlpha



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Bottom Draco, Confused Harry, Draco Malfoy & Harry Potter Friendship, Gay, Gay Male Character, Harry in Denial, Harry in Love, Harry is a Little Shit, M/M, POV Harry, Potions Master Draco Malfoy, Roommates, Sexuality Crisis, Smart Hermione Granger, Top Harry
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-07
Updated: 2016-11-26
Packaged: 2018-08-29 14:47:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,410
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8493985
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TrueAlphaIsMyAlpha/pseuds/TrueAlphaIsMyAlpha
Summary: Its had been years since Harry had talked to or even seen Draco Malfoy. But when Harry hears about the way Draco has been treated, he makes it his mission to give him a home and keep him safe.





	1. Intro

It was an early spring morning when I met Hermione for tea. We usually meet a few times a week to catch up. With Ron and all of her justice work at the ministry, Hermione didn't have much time to spare. So we would go and grab tea a few times a week, and it had all become pretty routine. However, today seemed very different. Hermione was distant and sort of just stared into her tea as I talked. "the new apartment is quite big...What's wrong Hermione?" I placed my hand on top of her's. She shook her head sadly. 

"I'm sorry Harry, its just," She took a deep breath and locked eyes with me. "Draco Malfoy." I raised a confused eyebrow. I thought everything was finally going well for him. "He's been through so much to get to where he is, and now he's practically homeless. Breaks my heart, and I'm doing all I can." She sighed and rubbed a hand down her face. Harry frowned at the sight of Hermione feeling so helpless, and the thought of a homeless Draco looking like a puppy who had been kicked.

"He's homeless? Slow down and tell me what's going on." Draco didn't deserve any of the treatment he got after the war. I knew he had to work three times harder than anyone else to become a potions master, even with the help of Hermione, but I thought everything was going well for him now. 

"Draco was living quietly and keeping to himself. He worked so hard to get to where he was and then Rita Skeeter outed him to the whole Wizarding World." She angrily sipped her tea. I continued to gape at her as she was getting ahead of herself as usual. I had no idea Draco was gay. "Draco and his boyfriend broke up. Apparently it was pretty nasty for him to go to The Daily Prophet. The headlines were so cruel. Thankfully he still has his potions position, but no place wants to house a gay former death eater. He's been sleeping on people's sofas, ours included." 

I can't explain what it was. Maybe it was the way Hermione looked at me, seeming to beg for help. Or perhaps it was guilt I felt for not being his friend back at Hogwarts, or for not helping him enough after the war. I have no clue what it was, but I smiled softly at Hermione and said, "I could use a roommate in my new apartment. As I mentioned, it is quite big."


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Draco moves in.

Two days later, Hermione brought over Draco and all of his things. I remember everything about when I saw Draco that night. It'd been the first time in a few years and he'd changed a lot. He was taller, more toned, and his hair had no product in it. He looked more manly and grown up. His eyes seemed dull and not at all the breathtaking blue-gray they'd once been. There was a tightening in my gut at the sight of him. 

Draco only had two suitcases and a cardboard box, which was quite surprising to me. I didn't comment on it though. He looked a little embarrassed as Hermione and I carried his things to his room. I didn't like that look, embarrassed didn't suit him. We set his things down at the foot of his bed. He leaned against the doorway biting his lips and staring blankly at the ground. Hermione ripped the tape of of his box and he snapped to attention. 

"I-I can do it. You two have done enough for me." Draco spoke the first words I'd heard in years. His voice was deeper, but not by much. His tone was exhausted and worn out. I didn't like that either. I was beginning to realize he was no longer the boy I knew at hogwarts. 

"Alright...well if you need anything I'm just down the hall, and Hermione is only a floo away." Draco wouldn't look at me while I talked and I found myself searching for his eye contact. He looked so broken and I swore to myself I'd do everything in my power to change that. 

~~~

Draco spent the whole day shut away in his bedroom. I didn't want to push him. I was afraid if I pushed him too soon he would pull away from me even further. So, I went about my day as usual and hoped he'd come out. I didn't hear anything from him until late at night. 

I was sitting at my desk in my room reading about different snakes. It was after midnight and my eyes were getting tired. So, at first I thought I'd imagined the noises. I took a deep breath and shook my head, mentally scolding myself for staying up so late. When I heard it the second time I instantly knew what it was, and I knew I hadn't imagined it. High pitched whimpering, loud sniffs, and gasps for air were coming from the room next to me. 

My heart sank low and I immediately stood up. Was Draco crying? It must've been the hero in me, but I quickly and quietly left my room and  walked towards his. However, when I got to the door I froze. Knowing him, he wouldn't want me to see him vulnerable like this. But knowing everything he's been through lately, losing his boyfriend, his home, and almost losing his job, he probably needed a friend. With a shaky breath I turned his door knob. 

He must have thought I was asleep, because he instantly went silent. I waited a minute, giving him time to tell me to leave. He didn'tsay anything, so I opened his door. He was sat on his bed with his knees to his chest and his head in his hands. He was only wearing a pair of pajama bottoms. I stepped into his room and cautiously sat on the edge of his bed. "Do you want to talk about it?" I asked. Now that I was inside, I wasn't sure how to help. 

"N-No." Draco mumbled. I frowned with a sigh. He was still sniffling and crying, but not as violently as before.

"Thats ok..." I shrugged. "I can talk for the both of us." Draco shifted, but didn't take his face out of his hands. I smiled a little bit. "Draco...I know how you're feeling a-"

"N-No you d-don't!" He shouted angrily into his hands. He wiped his eyes and nose and looked up to lock eyes with me. His voice was strained and angry and the vein in his neck popped out. Eyes and cheeks red he looked so hurt."You're straight, you're a hero, and everyone looks up to you." He looked away from me and bit his lip. "Me?" He paused, obviously trying to hold back tears. His chest heaved as he took a deep breath a swallowed his tears. "I'm just some faggot death eater." The tears silently spilled over and I felt water welling up in my own eyes. I couldn't even imagine the things people and the daily prophet were saying about him. 

"I know what it feels like to have everyone thinking you're something you're not." Draco's face softened yet turned confused. "My first year at Hogwarts...it felt like everyone expected so much from me. I was supposed to be so amazing at magic, yet I barely knew anything." I took a deep breath. "Everyone had their mind made up about me, and it was so hard to find myself." I locked eyes with him and put my hand on his knee. "You are so much more than what they say you are." I gave his knee a gentle squeeze and stood up to leave. 

"Harry..." Draco spoke softly. I turned to look back at him. "Thank you...for everything." He smiled sheepishly. He had put his knees down and I could see the long scars across his toned chest I had given him from the Sectumsempra spell. I quickly looked away.

"Draco...you don't need to thank me." I leaned against the doorway and crossed my arms. "You have lots of people who love and care about you." Draco looked down at his hands. "Just...don't ever forget that." I gave him a small smile before heading back to my room.


	3. Chapter 3

Draco had been living with me for just over a week. He was slowly but surely warming up to me. We talked a little more everyday, and although I'd yet to hear him laugh, I believed he was beginning to feel more comfortable here. It gave me a sense of accomplishment knowing I was helping right some of the wrongs we had done to each other at Hogwarts . 

One thing that really shocked me was his love for his work. I remember watching him at hogwarts hard at work over his desk, but I wasn't sure if he actually enjoyed it or if it was just another one of the things his father had tried to instil in him. Smelling the different scents of plants, herbs, and stones on him as he walks into the house reassures me of his passion for potions 

Tonight I could tell something was off with Draco the second he stepped out of the fireplace. I had been setting the table for the both of us, something I had come to really enjoy lately, when he rushed past me clutching his face. My heart jumped as he slammed the bathroom door. I dropped the silverware into a pile on the table and hurried down the hallway to the bathroom. "Draco" I knocked on the door. I could hear muffled whimpers and sniffles. He was crying again. "What's wrong?" 

"J-Just an a-accide-ent. I'm f-fine." He sobbed. I reached for the door handle, and of course it was locked. I didn't want to invade his privacy, so I didn't use alohamora, but I wanted to help. It must've been the hero in me that wanted to help so bad. 

"Please let me in..." I sighed and leaned my head against the door. Closing my eyes I took a deep breath. The water turned on and I heard it splash as Draco gave out a high pitched whine. My head snapped up and eyes widened. "Draco! I want to help! Let me help!" I begged. I couldn't stand hearing him in pain. 

Slowly there was the soft click of the knob being unlocked and I cautiously crept into the bathroom. Draco had burns all over his hands and parts of his and. His face was covered in fresh bruises and cuts. I had seen worse, but I couldn't bare to see him so hurt and defeated. 

"Well..you g-gonna help m-me or wha-at?" His tears streaked down his face and smeared the dried blood. A few seconds ago I was pleading to be let in, but now that I was in I had no idea what to do. Searching through my cabinets and cupboards I did find some of Luna's all natural healing cream. It had to work. Gently I picked up his hands and rubbed the cream over his burns. He bit his lips and refused to look at me. 

I grabbed a cloth and wetted it with some warm water. Cautiously, I took his face in my hand and turned him to look at me. Tears still fell silently as we looked at each other. Tenderly I wiped away the tears and blood from his face. He leaned into my touch and I left one hand on his cheek as I rubbed the healing cream over his bruises and cuts. Everything was slowly healing as nothing was too damaging. "Tell me what really happened." I spoke softly.

He let out a deep sigh and closed his eyes for a moment. Draco shook off my hand and swallowed hard. "Some people at work...aren't happy that the boy who lived...is taking pity on m-me." He shook his head and looked away. My blood began to boil and I clenched my teeth. 

"First of all, this is not pity. This is me helping someone who is being treated unfairly." I flexed my fingers angrily. "Second of all, you need to tell me exactly who did this. No one gets away with things like this." His eyes went wide and his lip quivered. 

"N-No it'll only make things worse if I tell." Draco panted and closed his eyes. I slowly caressed his cheek again. He didn't move away, but he kept his eyes closed and I could feel his jaw flex. 

"Draco..." I willed him to open his eyes and look at me, but they stayed shut. "I fought to end all the hate and discrimination." He gazed into my eyes, but didn't say anything. So with a deep breath I continued on, "You do not deserve any of this. You were just a child whose family pulled you to the wrong side of the war." 

"You don't understand, Harry." Draco sighed heavily and bit his lips. "I-I can't fight back, o-or say anything, and they know it. I don't want to give them any excuse to fire me. I worked so hard for this, and I love my job." He ran his burnt and slowly healing fingers through his hair. "Its all I have anymore." He spoke so softly and broken. 

"You have me," I smiled. "And I can help, Draco. Just tell me what happened, you don't have to say who." I sat down and gave him a reassuring nudge. 

"Fine." Draco rolled his eyes. "I was working in my chamber trying to mix a love potion for a client. It's really difficult, because its supposed to reveal actual love thats hidden. There's this guy who usually comes in and takes my plants and things, even though I pay for them myself. Anyway, he was saying some stuff and I was just ignoring him and he got mad...and so he knocked over my cauldron a-and it burnt my hands. Some of it splashed on him and burnt through his clothes, so he started hitting me a-and I c-couldn't hit back." 

I frowned and rubbed his arm. "Its ok you're safe here, and I'm not going to let anyone hurt you anymore." But under my skin my blood was boiling. I was going to put a stop to this.


End file.
